The Burrow Brunch
by Ninja C
Summary: Every Sunday, the Weasley extended family and their friends hold a brunch at the Burrow. Things get a little complicated as the years go by.
1. Sunday at the Weasleys'

**The Burrow Brunch**

**Disclaimer: Work is quickly turning into writing time for me (a.k.a. brainstorming desperately while I paint). Maybe this is leading to a good thing.**

Chapter 1: Sunday at the Weasleys'

Teddy Lupin appeared in the fireplace, his grandmother already brushing soot off her sweater, and a basket of rolls was pushed into his hand by Molly Weasley.

"Oh, good, you're here," she said, harried. She kissed Teddy's and then Andromeda's cheeks, giving Teddy a gentle push in the back. "Take those outside, please, dear, you were almost late."

"Sorry, Molly, we were held up," Andromeda apologised. Teddy didn't hear any more, because he was out the back door and almost got plowed down by Rose Weasley and Albus Potter, his cousins in spirit if not by blood.

"Whoops, sorry, Teddy," they chorused, never breaking stride. Teddy's hair turned pink with love for this bunch as he took in the sight in front of him.

Victoire Weasley waved from between her mother and sister, at the end of an impossibly long table heavily laden with Grandma Molly's delicious food spread out by the pond. Victoire's family sat, as always, on the left end, with a seat left out for Teddy to join his girlfriend, which he immediately took, setting the rolls down in front of him. Next to them sat the Potters, Harry and Bill swapping work stories of the week. Ginny and Hermione Weasley sat opposite each other, gossiping, and Hermione's husband and kids followed. Luna Scamander and her family and Neville and Hannah Longbottom and their kids squeezed in next to them, always considered family. Next to Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, in the middle of the table, sat Andromeda and Percy Weasley, often engaged in serious conversation over their tea. His daughters amused his wife with stories of the trouble they had caused during the day with Fred and Roxanne, whose parents always saved a seat at the very end of the table for Charlie, who sometimes dropped by unannounced.

"Honestly, you'd think they would stop going on about the Keeper's boyfriend, just because he gave her a new broom and then dumped her, she still plays fine even though she chucked the broom, she's gotten over him," Ginny rattled on, shelling out some peas for Hermione.

"And so I took the gnome, and slipped it down Louis' pants!" Lucy recounted, to raucous laughter all around the end of the table.

"How did your grandmother feel about that?" Audrey Weasley asked, trying to look disapproving but smirking into her cup. Grandma Weasley did not hear, as she was hurrying down the lawn with a dish of mashed potatoes.

"Oh, don't tell me, the goblin jumped him," Harry moaned to Bill, putting his head in his hands. Bill nodded emphatically, a sad expression on his mangled features.

"I mean, there was no escaping it," he lamented. Fleur nodded grimly.

"Okay, everybody," Grandma Weasley called, clapping her hands. "Now that everyone's here, let's dig in!"

Crows of glee sounded all down the table. Talk became scarce as everyone started to eat. The first conversation to rise above the sounds of chewing was Rose Weasley.

"So, Dad," she turned to her left, "I was thinking. Could I invite one of my friends to next Sunday's Brunch?"

"I don't see why not," Ron said after swallowing an enormous bite of chicken. "You'll have to ask your grandma, though."

"Hey, Gran!" Rose called over her grandfather and Auntie Luna. "Can I have one of my friends over next Sunday?"

Mrs. Weasley looked pleasantly surprised. "Of course you can, Rosie."

"And could his parents maybe come too?"

"Certainly, dear," Grandma Weasley grinned. "Tuck in."

"He?" Ron repeated. "He? What he?"

"Ron," Hermione called. "What do you think of this new foul, this 'crashing' thing?"

"Oh, don't even get me started – "

Rose glanced at her mother over Ron, exchanging a grateful glance for the distraction.

**Talvana and I have spent _days_ at work crafting an intense headcanon for the Next Gen. You should check her stuff out. Just so's you know.**


	2. The Malfoys

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 2: The Malfoys

Three empty chairs were placed next to and across from Rose, and the Burrow was abuzz. Usually there was at least one family who was almost late, like Teddy and Andromeda had been last week, but today, everyone was here so early that the tables weren't even set up. Grandma Weasley was running about, frantic.

"Oh, guests. Guests, for the first time since Ginny was in school! Arthur, take this."

Mr. Weasley's arms were becoming dangerously laden with food, so George and Bill took mercy on him and went outside to set up the table. Some of the adults sat on the front porch, and others were playing outside with the kids. The older kids lay sprawled around the living room, talking and gossiping about Hogwarts.

"So who's this friend you're dragging over, Rosie?" Victoire asked from the floor, leaning against Teddy, sitting in the chair behind her.

"Yeah," called Molly, braiding a sleeping James' hair on the couch while Fred applied lipstick to his eyebrows. "I've heard exactly nothing about him, which is pretty much a crime in the Brunch Bunch."

Lucy snorted at her sister's term.

"Okay, okay, you got me," Rose laughed, and the group quieted a bit in anticipation, so that the various conversations from both yards and the kitchen strained in. "Itsscorpiusmalfoy," she mumbled, all eyes on her so that she turned red.

"I'm sorry?" Dominique half-asked, her eyebrows raised and her voice higher than usual. "Did you say what I think you just said?"

"Yes, Domi," Rose replied, "I've invited Scorpius here for brunch."

"That's all well and good, Rose," Roxanne blew off Dominique's surprise. "I mean, we all know you're friends with the guy, but do you really think it's wise to bring him, _and his parents_, into – "

"Alright, alright, everybody, take a bowl – " James jerked awake at the sound of his grandmother's voice – "oh, good heavens!" A pop had just been heard out in the yard. The teens started filing out of the room and out the back door, chattering excitedly now. "Rose, that'll be your friend! Oh, quickly, dears – "

"Oi!" James had just caught sight of his reflection in the side of the bowl of salad he was carrying.

"You look lovely, dear," Molly said loudly, pulling on his wrist to get him out of the room.

Rose straightened her dress and with a flick of her wand, Grandma Weasley had let down Rose's ponytail, her hair falling over her shoulders in curls. She shot a grateful look at her grandmother and dashed out the door, neglecting her shoes by the front step.

"Scorpius!" Rose waved, jogging over to the Malfoys. Scorpius smiled at her, and they hugged as soon as she reached the small party. "And Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I'm so glad to finally meet you!" she greeted exuberantly, shaking both of their hands. "I've heard so much about you!"

Scorpius' mother beamed down at him and opened her mouth to say something, but Rose had already started off toward the backyard, calling, "The food's already been laid out," so the Malfoys had no choice but to follow directly behind.

The food had been set up and most everybody was in their place; a few of the adults hovered around their chairs. When they saw Rose and the visiting family make their way around the garden gate, several things happened at once.

Ron Weasley's face turned white. Hermione put a hand on his arm almost immediately, quickly canceling her own expression of shock. Several of the kids waved and called, "Scorpius!" He waved back, a bit more shyly; it was easy to be intimidated by such a large bunch. The wives around the table all hitched on sudden smiles, forced by surprise but with sincerity not far behind. Draco and Astoria Malfoy smiled quietly back, still on edge being surrounded by people they hadn't spoken to in over twenty years.

Harry Potter turned from his wife, distracted by the silence. Immediately, he stepped forward, only a split second ahead of Hermione. They looked at each other and approached Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Harry and Hermione held out their hands in unison, and Astoria took Hermione's immediately, warming up with a wide grin. Draco hovered for a quick second, then grasped Harry's hand.

"Welcome to the Burrow Brunch," Harry said with a wry grin. He knew that the name sounded cheesier than Greta Catchlove.

"We're so glad to have you," Hermione agreed, kissing Astoria on the cheek. "Rose tells us so many things about your son!"

Rose looked bemusedly at Albus, who knew full well that no one had known about Scorpius.

"It's good to see you again… Harry," Mr. Malfoy said tentatively. "Hermione." Hermione beamed, and Harry looked back at Ron.

The final member of the old trio rose from his chair slowly, conversations breaking out amongst the rest of the family again now that they had seen Rose's mystery friend. Rose, Scorpius, and a few other cousins still watched apprehensively as Ron approached the Malfoys.

"Astoria, nice to meet you," he greeted Mrs. Malfoy, shaking her hand if not warmly, then cordially. Ron turned to Mr. Malfoy, but before they could give a reaction, Astoria reached into her cloak and pulled out a box. "For you and Hermione," she explained, gently forcing it into Ron's hands. Ron's stiff demeanour gone now, he exchanged a puzzled look with his wife, then with Harry. "Open it," Astoria urged. She wrapped her arm around her husband's as he looked down on her in confusion; evidently this was a surprise for him as well.

"I've heard all the stories about this," Mrs. Malfoy explained as Ron removed the top of the box and out popped the little head of a white ferret.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry all looked blankly at it, and the ferret looked back. Then suddenly, Ron began roaring with laughter and Harry had to dive for the box before it dropped out of Ron's hands and to the ground, though he and Hermione were laughing too. Ron threw his arms around the Malfoys, choking out, "A ferret! I ask you…"

He walked back to the table shaking his head, his ferret swaying in the box. "That's as good as you're going to get, I'm sorry," Harry apologised to the Malfoys. But Mr. Malfoy was smiling, watching his wife walk down to the table with Hermione.

"That's all I could have expected today." Draco looked at the mass of red hair and chairs, obviously wondering where he and his wife were supposed to sit.

Rolf Scamander elbowed his son, Lysander, who jumped. "Er, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, would you like to take a seat?" He and Hugo held out the seats between them, Ginny looking down on them approvingly.

Scorpius sat down next to Rose, across the table from his parents, who immediately had baskets and bowls of food thrust at them from all directions, the Weasleys eager to prove that they'd moved on from the events of their past. The two fourteen-year-olds looked at each other out of the sides of their eyes, silently thanking Merlin that their families were getting along.

Rose pretended not to notice when her father, though off of his present high, gave Draco Malfoy a slight nod and a small smile.


	3. Quidditch

**The Burrow Brunch**

**I've gone back and edited the last chapter; there were some holes I needed to fill. But now it's fixed, and you may all go on with your lives. I promise.**

Chapter 3: Quidditch

The next Brunch was the last one before term began. Scorpius Malfoy was invited back, though his parents politely declined, their previous experience being more than enough to assure them that their son was getting on with other people from school. As Draco's associates were mostly Slytherins, they had surrounded Scorpius with them and their kids in childhood, thinking, logically, that he would be placed in Slytherin. His sorting into Gryffindor, though never a disappointment to them, was nevertheless a surprise, and he had gone into school knowing no one whatsoever. Draco and Astoria had been shown that he was in good hands.

"So, ready to go back to school, Scorpius?" George Weasley called from down the table, waiting for a lull in conversation so he could be heard.

"I think I am, thanks." Scorpius coughed a little on the corn he had horked down in his haste to answer George.

"Oh, I am SO ready," Rose agreed, giving Scorpius time to cough his food back up. "Quidditch'll be really great this year, eh? Hey, you should try out!" She elbowed Scorpius. "We need a new Chaser!"

"Join our ranks, Scorpius," Roxanne chanted as though convincing him to join a cult. James wiggled his fingers in fake menace.

"Oh, do you play Chaser?" Ginny Potter asked in interest, putting down her fork.

"Just did a little today, with these fools," Scorpius gestured to the table in general.

"Hey!" called Louis.

"It seems to be my best position," Scorpius finished.

"I wondered if you all were going to play Quidditch when you left in a big group," Grandpa Weasley commented. "Who played what?"

"We did House team positions first," Lucy explained. "Me and Louis as Beaters, Rose as Seeker, Al as Keeper, and Roxy and James were Chasers, but then we needed someone else, so Rose suggested Scorpius."

Rose waved a hand as if to say, "It was nothing."

"And then we started another team for an actual match," Fred called. "Me and Teddy were Chasers; Hugo and Lily took Beaters, and they're quite good at it too. Vic was Keeper, and Dom was our Seeker, so Molly had to take Chaser this time instead of Keeper."

"Yeah, but I kicked all of your arses," Molly yelled.

"Molly! Language!"

"Sorry, Dad," Molly apologised, rolling her eyes.

"Ended up 160-210, them winning," Scorpius finished the story.

"Yeah, but you were damn good," Dominique consoled him. "You really should try out for House Quidditch."

"Do it," Rose implored.

"All right, maybe I will," Scorpius said, just to shut her up. But he did begin to really think about it, him completing the Weasley-filled team.


	4. The Brunch Substitute

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 4: The Brunch Substitute

Scorpius had often wondered why the Weasley extended family always, always ate together at school. He would sit with Rose and Albus, but they were on the outskirts of the group, and never really fought with each other. The rest of the cousins and family friends would often have disagreements, but as it was such a big family, they could just shift around and everything would be fine and light-hearted. Still, Scorpius didn't know how they didn't all get sick of each other.

Now he realised, taking the seat between Albus and Rose at the start-of-term feast, that this was their substitute for the Burrow Brunch. They didn't have their hilarious aunts and uncles, loving Professor Longbottom, as he was here, or their grandmother's amazing food, but the house-elves in the kitchens were a close second and Professor Longbottom was just at the top of the room. The cousins always had each other.

They chattered merrily as they ate, lamenting the loss of the quirky Scamander twins and their parents. A small explosion went off in Lucy's soup, and she hurled it angrily at James and Louis, who were cackling madly.

"God, I miss the Brunch," Lily moaned, picking at the tart she had selected for dessert.

"We all do, Lil," Louis comforted her. "But it's just the usual first day misery, right, Scorpius?"

"Er," Scorpius replied articulately. "Sure. Yeah. I'll really miss the Brunch."

The family all looked at him.

"What?"

"D'you mean you're not coming back?" James said loudly.

"Ah, no," Lucy groaned. "Dad doesn't yell at me at brunch now because he doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of guests."

Scorpius looked taken aback. Rose rolled her eyes.

"I mean, I didn't think – "

"Of course you're invited back," Albus cut him off with a tone that clearly said, "You're so stupid."

"Well – " Scorpius cleared his throat – "thanks, thanks a lot! I'd love to come back next summer."

"Nah, mate, we mean over break," Hugo elaborated, oblivious to the fact that Lucy was now pouring pepper over his pie.

"You can stay with your folks and all, that's fine," Roxanne hid a smile at the prank. "It's only a few hours on Sundays. Hell, your parents are probably invited back, too. I'll owl Gran."

Truly touched by this family's open arms, Scorpius nodded. It wasn't that his family didn't love him, but they were a much more proper household than the Weasleys. At the Burrow, he could have fun. He'd only been twice, but Rose knew that he'd open up soon enough.

"Great! That's settled, then. Anybody know the new password to the Tower?" she inquired.

"Lucy! What the hell!" Hugo had taken a bite of his pie.

"Funny enough, I don't think that's it," Albus grinned at Scorpius cheekily. These people would be the death of him, Scorpius thought merrily as everyone laughed at Hugo's watering eyes.


	5. Charlie

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 5: Charlie

"Uncle Charlie's coming back!"

It spread from Lucy, who had gotten the letter, to Louis to James to Lily to Roxanne to Hugo to Albus to Rose, all in a matter of minutes. It was quite a feat, considering Rose was in Astronomy class.

"Hey." She turned to Scorpius, at the telescope next to hers. "You want to come to the Burrow for brunch again over hols?"

"Of course I do, Rose," Scorpius said distractedly, penning Venus on his star chart. "Haven't you already asked me this?"

"Well, yeah, but that was before I knew my uncle Charlie was coming back," Rose explained, flagrantly disregarding her telescope and staring at Scorpius straight-on. Professor Sinistra gave her a stern look and began to make her way over to the pair.

"Rose Weasley, back to your chart!" she reprimanded.

"Just asking Scorpius if my hat was on straight, Professor," Rose lied quickly, adjusting the accessory against the cold. Luckily, there was no snow, even though it was almost December. Professor Sinistra harrumphed and went back to the other side of the tower.

"Okay, so you're coming, right?" Scorpius nodded, eye back to his telescope. "What about your parents?"

"They don't have time," Scorpius said, finally looking at her. "My dad has some crap to organise for the Ministry, and my mum doesn't want to impose."

"That's alright," Rose grinned, "though I do want to see them again at some point."

"I'm sure it could be arranged," Scorpius assured her. "Maybe over the summer, you and Albus could come stay."

They smiled at each other and went back to their work.

* * *

><p>The first week of break, Scorpius showed up to the Burrow a little early, as usual. He didn't want anyone to not like him because he came late. He knocked on the door, knowing nothing would be set up yet in the yard. A strange crashing was emanating from beyond the gate, and he was tremendously curious, but he knew it wasn't his place to investigate, so he stayed put in the snow.<p>

Rose's uncle Percy answered the door.

"Scorpius! Come in, you must be freezing."

"Thanks very much."

Scorpius stepped inside and stomped his boots on the rug just in time to hear Grandma Weasley yell, "BOYS! MUST YOU DO THIS EVERY TIME CHARLIE COMES HOME?"

He spied Rose among her cousins at a set of windows looking out to the backyard and joined her. The kids were laughing uproariously at Bill and another man who must have been Charlie, wands in the air below the pair of tables that made up the setting of the Brunch. The tables were zooming back and forth, ramming into each other again and again. When they heard their mother's screams, Bill and Charlie hurriedly let down the tables, fixing legs and broken corners as they came down.

"Calm down, Mum," Charlie called back toward the house as he and Bill began lifting a pile of canvas into an enormous tent. "We always put everything right, don't we?"

"Don't you give me that tone, young man!" Harry Potter and Rose's mother tried very hard not to laugh, remembering the first time they had met Bill and Charlie.

"Scorpius, you made it!" Victoire Weasley exclaimed, passing the window from upstairs to go into the kitchen. Heads craned around, and people began calling, "Hey, Scorp!"

"Hi, Scorpius," Teddy Lupin said from the corner of the living room. Teddy had always been the cool legend in the Weasley extended family, so Scorpius only mustered a small smile and a little wave to his… second cousin, he supposed.

"So, did you make House Quidditch?" Teddy asked, stepping forward and grabbing Victoire's hand.

"Yeah, he did," Al commended, clapping a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "Spanking good Chaser."

"I played Chaser at Hogwarts," Teddy told Scorpius. Scorpius knew, of course. No one, present or not, would forget that Teddy Lupin was the only person to ever win a match by pretending that he was a team member of whichever Beater was aiming a Bludger toward him. They would see his Metamorphosed face and magically changed robes and turn the Bludger right around, giving Teddy time to score nineteen goals. "Congratulations."

Rose was grinning at him hugely.

"Yeah, thanks," Scorpius said.

The back door opened, and through the kitchen came Bill and Charlie.

"Uncle Charlie!" called Rose, rushing forth and grabbing his hand. "This is Scorpius."

Scorpius waved awkwardly.

"Charlie works with dragons," Rose said.

"Yeah, you told me," Scorpius replied, trying not to sound rude.

"What are you planning on doing after school, Scorpius?" Charlie asked. His eyes were twinkling with the same kind of light that seemed to be in all the Weasleys' eyes: love, and laughter, and a little bit of mischief. It made his dragon-skin jacket seem less intimidating.

"Er, not sure yet," Scorpius shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to Rose, curious if she had an answer herself. "Probably something boring in the Ministry. But dragons sounds _really_ cool."

"Get to live in Romania, get to see the beautiful women, beautiful creatures," Charlie listed off. "It _is_ a pretty cool job. I'm lucky to have it, really."

At this point, Grandma Weasley came in with the usual order to bring out the dishes, so they all filed out, and in no time, the table was under the tent and laden with food and people. The air was still cold, but the snow was magicked out from under the table, and the food would warm them right up.

As Scorpius and Rose stepped back under the tent from taking a quick trip to the loo, a pile of snow dropped onto Rose's shoulder.

"You've got a little…" Scorpius brushed it off. Hermione Weasley blushed at seeing this.

"What?" Ron asked her, taking a bite of fish.

"Oh, nothing."


	6. Discord

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 6: Discord

The next year went by with Scorpius in attendance at almost every Burrow Brunch, winter break, Easter break, and summer hols. His parents came once or twice, warming up more quickly to their son's friends and their families. Mrs. Malfoy struck up a warm conversation with Hannah Longbottom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, at the Easter brunch, and they set up a tea for the next week.

The last days of school came around for the students at Hogwarts. Louis, Lucy, and James labored under the stress of the NEWTs, while Rose, Albus, and Scorpius studied feverishly for their OWLs. The quiet of the common room was broken three days before the big exams began by a screech from the boys' dormitories. Indistinct squabbling carried on for a few minutes, and then stamping footfalls preceded Rose Weasley's descent and reascent up her own stairs. Scorpius Malfoy stormed down moments later, looking miserable. Lily and Roxanne, who had been talking quietly on the couch, looked at each other in confusion.

"I'll go see what this is about, I suppose," Lily suggested, rising from her seat and mounting the stairs. "You, do your Transfiguration."

"All right, all right, Mother," Roxanne smirked.

"Rose?" Lily knocked hesitantly upon reaching her cousin's dorm. "Rose, what are you doing?" She pushed the door open to see Rose lying facedown on her bed.

"Scorpius and I fought," she mumbled against her pillow.

"Yes, I'd noticed," Lily replied. "You two were quite loud. What was the problem, anyway?"

"I've just been so stressed with OWLs," Rose moaned. "It just slipped out!"

"Rose. What did you do," Lily demanded.

"I said his name sounded like a first year's feeble attempt to make himself sound like the leader of a crime ring to the popular kids at school," Rose confessed, rolling over so she could be clearly heard. "But you should have heard him, going on about how I need to give it a rest on the reviewing. We have OWLs in three days, Lily!"

"So you tease him about his _name?_" Lily asked incredulously. She put her hand on her cocked hip, not believing her cousin could be so juvenile. "Rose, we're not _four_, for Merlin's sake! He tells you something that's completely true, and you go for his _name?_ That's low, Rose."

"It's just his name," Rose countered. "It's not like it's a big deal. Like you said, we're not four. That's something a child would make fun of, so it's not like it's a big insult."

"Haven't you realised that names are _important_ in the Malfoy family? They take great pride in using names from the stars."

"He didn't care that much, I assure you," Rose shrugged it off. "It was the heat of the moment, we were both angry, we were both stressed. It'll blow off by dinner tonight."

"Denial is fine, Rose," Lily said. "But I was down there; Scorpius looked like he was about to fling himself off the Astronomy Tower when you teased him about his _name_." She spat the last word, not believing Rose could do this. "Do tell me if you are somehow emotionally involved, will you?"

"_Emotionally involved?_ Lily, that's a horrible thing to say, and you know it! We're friends. Best friends," she added, as though it would make Lily see reason.

"Yeah, and you're closer than any best friends I've ever seen," Lily replied. "Now don't do anything stupider than this while you're waiting for it to 'blow off by dinner.'"

She opened the door, but Rose, seeing red, threw her Charms book at her cousin. Lily looked back at Rose in disgust.

"Oh, yeah, that's nice, really charming," she snarled. "That's two friends you've lost now."

With that, she stormed out of the dorm and back down to Roxanne, the only sane family member (neither taking any exams nor being Hugo) she could talk to.

* * *

><p>Rose came down to the Great Hall in the middle of lunch and apologised to Lily, but Scorpius was nowhere to be found. By dinner, as Lily had suspected, there was no resolution between him and Rose.<p>

Needless to say, he was not at the Burrow Brunch after school let out.


	7. Happy Birthday, Rose

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 7: Happy Birthday, Rose

For a month, it was back to the old Brunch Bunch. No guests, no outsiders. Just the Weasley family, Teddy and Andromeda, the Scamanders, and the Longbottoms.

Rose's birthday was August the seventh. She and her mother and father and brother stayed at the Burrow that weekend, as all of the families were wont to do every once in a while. But by the time the rest of the Bunch had arrived for brunch, Rose was nowhere to be found.

"I let her sleep in," Hermione told everyone. "It is her birthday, after all."

"I'll get her," a voice came from the gate.

The gathered family all looked up, half of them wheeling around to see behind themselves. Scorpius Malfoy had let himself in at the fence, just like he had at Easter. This time, though, he had no escort of Albus or Rose.

"Scorpius, mate!" Fred, the first to move, detached himself from his sister and clapped Scorpius on the shoulder. "Good to see you!"

Before anyone else could say anything (he hoped dearly they would just carry on; after all, Rose had explained how the situation was mostly her fault), Albus came to his friend's side. "Come inside with me," he entreated, and the boys went through the back door into the Burrow.

"I hope you're not angry at me," Scorpius blurted out once they were inside.

"Why would I be mad? We owled!"

"Well, yes, but I wasn't sure if my welcome to the Brunch still stood, what with – "

"Of course you're still welcome," Albus rolled his eyes. "You've been coming here for over a year now. You're almost like family." Scorpius smiled a bit, and to Al it was obvious that he was completely better now. "Anyway, she's upstairs. Straight to the top," he instructed his friend.

Scorpius thanked Albus, making his way up the winding stairs. He passed door after door until finally he reached the top landing. An echoing _clang!_ nearly scared the wits out of him; he jumped and yelped in surprise.

Quickly regaining his composure, he didn't even bother knocking on the door, just pushed it open. It hadn't been latched anyway.

"It's just our ghoul, you great ponce," Rose muttered. It was obviously meant for his ears, her tone indicating so if not her volume.

She was half-seated on the edge of a bed, orange sheets rumpled. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and her pajamas were still on, an overlarge tee shirt and shorts. One red sock slumped down her leg; her other foot was bare.

"Come to laugh at me?" Rose inquired quite calmly.

Scorpius didn't know quite what to say other than "No."

Rose continued to stare at the floor.

"Happy birthday, Rose."

She smirked a little.

Scorpius began to feel a tad awkward, just standing there like a great ape in the door.

"Er – I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Rose's eyes snapped to his, filled with tears. Without another word, he rushed to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Sorry? What for?" she demanded shrilly, tears thick in her voice.

"For not coming back to you sooner, at the moment." Scorpius tried not to let his relief come out in a laugh.

"But _I_ was the one who was a git, _I_ was the one who insulted _you!_" Rose was crying in earnest now, holding onto Scorpius desperately in her joy to have him back. Little butterflies erupted in his stomach, what he assumed was his own glee at having his best friend with him again, if extremely emotional.

"Oh, please," Scorpius scoffed, only now fully realising his stupidity. It was only a _name_, after all. "My name. My pride may have been hurt at first, but after about fifteen minutes of sulking, I got over it. I was holding out, being stubborn. Which was completely idiotic, by the way, because without your help I nearly didn't pass Charms. Oh, which reminds me, how many OWLs did you get?" _Talking __about __school __could __be __a __quick __ticket __back __into __a __normal __conversation,_ Scorpius thought wryly. He pulled back from her at last, hands on her shoulders, and he was struck by how clear her blue eyes were.

"Scorpius?"

"Huh?"

"I said, how many did _you_ get?"

"Oh, er… same."

Rose was giving him that dubious look. "You didn't take nine classes."

"Right," Scorpius faked a laugh. "What I meant to say was seven. I must've misheard you."

"Honestly, Scorp, what _am_ I going to do with you?" Rose ducked out from under his hands. "Now get out, so I can change.

"But," her voice stopped him just before the door, suddenly turning shy, "could you wait for me on the landing?"

Scorpius nodded, a wide grin splitting his face for the first time all day.

* * *

><p>Two minutes later, Rose's hair was down and curly as usual, and she was in a more typical tee shirt and shorts. Scorpius didn't think she needed to change at all. The red sock was still on her foot.<p>

"I got used to it," she said. "They're my favourite socks, but I haven't been able to find the other one in about two weeks. I think Hugo might have stolen it and played about with our old Kneazle with it. Knowing him, he probably ripped it apart." She finished her story with a heavy sigh, and the flittery things in Scorpius' stomach burst into flight.

They had reached the back door, but Scorpius stopped her. Rose looked at him questioningly.

"Your arm, milady," Scorpius requested, mocking a deep bow and proffering his own.

"Thank you, kind sir," Rose accepted, opening the door with her other hand.

As they made their way down the grassy knoll, the table burst into applause and cheers at the sight of the best friends reunited. Rose and Scorpius both laughed merrily as they took their seats. On Rose's other side, her father kissed her forehead.

They ate and drank and sang (perhaps they drank a bit too much) until Grandma Weasley brought out her famous birthday cake. As they cut into it, Albus watched from down the table as Scorpius handed Rose the first piece, the most prominent thought on his mind being that Rose smiled differently at Scorpius than she had before the falling-out.

Rose meanwhile, just laughed hysterically when Scorpius almost dropped the cake, by a stroke of luck landing perfectly on her plate. She grabbed a fingerful of the frosting and smeared it on his face.

All in all, this was a very good birthday.


	8. Party for the Brunch Bunch

**The Burrow Brunch**

**Hey, sorry this took so long. I had to get my wisdom teeth out. But now I've mostly recuperated. Just thought you should know. (It would have been out, like, the day after the last chapter if I hadn't had surgery.)**

Chapter 8: Party for the Brunch Bunch

At Christmas, the magical tent was back up, Uncle Charlie was in town, and Hagrid and Professor McGonagall had dropped by, as they did rather infrequently. The kids weren't sure whether to let loose like they did with Hagrid, or to watch themselves in front of their headmistress, even though over half of them had left Hogwarts already.

In any case, by the middle of the meal, their McGonagall-induced inhibitions were mostly gone, and Rose had her feet in Scorpius' lap. Many small conversations were in progress up and down the table; everyone was tired of having to shout down to the other end, so they mostly kept to their immediate neighbours. Scorpius was babbling about some new tonic you could take to make yourself shorter and whether he should use it; Rose refused him stoutly.

"No, no, you're good tall!" she insisted. It had been the topic of many a night in the common room, after the time Scorpius had rammed into the doorframe on his way out of the boys' dorms. He had since learned to duck, but the insecurity had lingered. "I would miss having to leap up to mess up your hair."

A beat of silence followed. Rose suddenly lunged for Scorpius' head, but he knew what she would do, and countered her blow.

"In your dreams, Weasley," he chortled.

"Fine," Rose sulked, settling back into her seat. "But when it happens, and it totally will happen, I'm throwing a party."

"Ah, that reminds me," Scorpius suddenly remembered, picking up Rose's feet and setting them on the ground so he could stand up.

"Excuse me," he called, and the chatter died away as everyone turned to look at Scorpius. "My family always hosts a winter party at our house, and my parents have allowed me to invite all of you." Cries of glee sprang up from the ladies around the table, and smiles broke out on everyone's faces. "It's taking place this Friday. I hope you all can come." He sat back down a little awkwardly, everyone's eyes still on him.

"No way!" Molly cried. "I've never been to a formal party."

"At least, may we assume it's formal, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall inquired, wedged between Grandma and Grandpa Weasley.

"Oh, yes," Scorpius assured them, a little sheepishly for having forgotten. "Dresses for the ladies, suits for the men. Dress robes are also fine, but as my mother always likes to remind me, Muggle clothes apparently suit the occasion better."

"Thank you very much for the invitation, Scorpius," Rose's aunt Audrey gushed, leaning back in her chair so he could see her. Scorpius nodded as a chorus of "Yeah, thanks!" erupted from everyone.

"If anyone needs new outfits, I can get them," Harry Potter offered. "I need to go to Muggle London in the morning anyway to meet with Kingsley and the Prime Minister."

"Oh, now don't be silly, Harry dear," Grandma Weasley chided him. "The boys will need fitted, and the girls need proper dresses." Addressing the whole table, she continued, "Just tell me what days you're all free, and I will take you to find what we need."

Rose was looking on this whole scene with an air of immense amusement.

"Molly," Hermione Weasley called, "I'll go with you. Muggle clothes are, you know…"

"Of course, dear," Grandma Weasley brushed off her daughter-in-law's insinuation. "Silly me."

* * *

><p>"A formal ball?" Rose groaned, flinging herself onto the couch in the living room as her family scattered all over the house. "I hate your guts, Scorpius."<p>

"You will come, won't you?" Scorpius asked, sinking down in a chair across from the couch, which Rose's body entirely covered. "It'll be no fun without my best friend there."

"Yes, I'll go," Rose grumbled begrudgingly. "But really, me? In a dress? You, in a suit?" Her stomach made a little feeling like it was trying to flip over, but not quite. Her brow furrowed at the foreign sensation.

"Eurgh," she finished her thought belatedly – and untruthfully, she realised. The noise was enough to snap Scorpius out of his visions of Rose in a ball gown.

"Wha?" he said stupidly.

"It'll be all stuffy and boring," Rose concluded, flipping over so that her hair touched the floor and her legs bent over the back of the couch, as if to prove the point that she didn't like boring.

"No, it won't, I promise," Scorpius assured her.

"Oh, all right then," Rose allowed. "If you promise." Her upside-down eyes met Scorpius', and they shared a small smile.

* * *

><p>Grandma Molly and Hermione took most of the men, somewhat reluctantly, to get fitted for suits on Monday. Albus, Louis, Rolf, Lysander, Mr. Weasley, Percy, George and Fred came home (everyone was staying at the Burrow for the holidays) after four hours laden with boxes, looking exhausted but relieved that it was all over for them. The ladies seemed totally ready to take the others to town.<p>

On Tuesday, James, Harry, Bill, Teddy, Ron, Hugo, Lorcan, Charlie, and Neville took about half the time (mostly because Fred and Albus had been whining excessively on Monday), leaving Grandma Weasley time to confirm with some of the girls exactly what they wanted in their dress. Hermione, meanwhile, went to bed early after Apparating to the Three Broomsticks and coming home with a large butterbeer.

Wednesday, Grandma took the mothers shopping. Andromeda, Fleur, Audrey, Angelina, Hermione, Hannah, Luna, and Ginny came back late carrying bags of all sizes, shrieking and laughing up a storm.

"Bet you anything they're reliving their school days," Lily said as the girls sat around the coffee table in the living room, where they had been chatting.

"That Yule Ball sounds like it was a real pain in the arse," Victoire agreed.

"But they do seem to have enjoyed themselves," Roxanne said wryly. "It's our turn next."

"I'm going to bed," said Lucy, paling at the thought.

The next day, Rose woke up to find Dominique sitting at the foot of her bed, finger outstretched to poke her in the cheek.

Rose shrieked, causing Lily to fall out of her bed next to her.

"Could we have an alarm clock next time, Dom?" Roxanne grumbled to a shrieking Dominique, tears of laughter falling from her eyes.

The groggy party Flooed into the Leaky Cauldron, where Hannah Longbottom seemed just as tired as they were. The landlady waved to them as they passed into the Muggle side of the pub, and the girls waved miserably back.

Dominique, Victoire, Lily, Rose, Lucy, Molly, and Roxanne waited for their grandmother and Hermione to join them, and then they set off to the nearest Underground station.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>When they reached the dress shop that Hermione had researched, Rose expected to scatter and look at various dresses, but her mum stopped them before they could separate.<p>

"All right, now Victoire, we are going to find you the most spectacular dress in this store," she promised, sharing a look with Grandma Weasley that none of the girls saw.

They got Victoire measured (Molly insisted that they all be measured as long as they were back there) and began the hunt for dresses.

"How about this?" Dominique suggested, holding out a pale purple number.

"That doesn't seem right for a formal party," Lucy disagreed. "What's your colour, Vic?"

"I – I don't know my _colour_," Victoire scoffed. The French side of her family had been surprised when she hadn't shown the flair for fashion that her mother had.

Eventually, the perfect dress was found. It was a strapless, wine red, floor-length gown, with a sweetheart neckline and a sheer overskirt. Everyone gushed over how lovely Victoire looked, causing her to blush, which only made the colour look even better on her.

There was one in deep green in the exact same style. Grandma Weasley held it out to Rose, the other girls dispersing to find their own dresses.

"Go on, dear, try it on," her mother urged her, but Rose waited until Lily had found a dress to go find the changing rooms.

As soon as Rose had the dress on, Lily knocked on the door. "Rose?" she called. Rose pulled open the door, and both girls gasped simultaneously.

Lily's gown was floor-length and clingy in a deep blue. One sleeve was elbow-length, the other only a strap. Jewels adorned the shorter sleeve. Lily looked more stunning than Rose had ever seen her.

"Guys!" Lily called, "get a look at Rose!"

Molly peered around the door, in a short strapless yellow dress. "Oh, Rose," she gasped, just as Dominique showed up, carrying three dresses, and started laughing.

"Oh, Merlin," she choked out. Rose felt immensely self-conscious and tugged on her ear in embarrassment. Did it look that bad on her? "You are going to make Scorpius your _lapdog!_"

Hermione joined the gathering crowd, and her eyes crinkled with happiness. "Oh, Rose," she sighed. "You look so beautiful."

In spite of herself, Rose broke into an enormous smile.

* * *

><p>The next day, everyone began the slow process of Flooing out in installments. Hermione cast a clever spell on everyone's clothes so they wouldn't become all ashy.<p>

Rose was rushing around upstairs, trying to get everything in order without messing up her hair, which Roxanne had painstakingly done up only ten minutes ago. Once she had both earrings in and both shoes on, she rushed down the stairs to find Albus waiting for her, at the very end of a dwindling line of her family. Aunt Ginny was calling out "Malfoy Manor" as she watched, and James and Dominique were the only two between her and Albus.

"Fashionably late, eh?" Al teased as Rose straightened her skirt.

"Haha," she retorted as Dominique disappeared in the green flames.

"I'll wait for you on the other end, yeah?" Al asked, stepping into the fireplace.

Rose waved him goodbye, trying to ignore the pit of nerves in her stomach. Why were they so persistent? All the authority figures that were bound to be at a Malfoy ball, she supposed. Important witches and wizards all around would make anyone nervous.

And then it was her turn, and she cast one last look at the familiar Burrow before throwing her Floo powder into the fire and saying "Malfoy Manor" just as her aunt had. She emerged a head-spinning minute later in an opulent white marble fireplace. Albus was before her, holding out a hand to help her out. Rose took it gladly and they followed the straggling line of their relatives through an arch on the opposite wall.

Past the arch and down the steps waited Scorpius, standing awkwardly in the middle of the checkerboard-marble floor, a glass of butterbeer in his hand. He knew it looked stupid, but he had gotten his parents to serve nonalcoholic beverages tonight for the Weasleys who were still Hogwarts-age (not to mention he loved the stuff).

Scorpius kept looking up at the staircase, which curved gently along the wall with a wide banister, perfect for grand entrances like everyone wanted tonight. He thought sarcastically that they should have had a court herald at the top, calling out the names of the honoured guests.

Although, that might not actually be such a bad idea. Maybe he wouldn't be having a conniption right now waiting for Rose. And Albus. Of course, Albus too.

There were the elder Weasleys, looking a bit awestricken by the manor but clearly there mostly to enjoy each other. It always warmed Scorpius' heart to see how in love they still were with each other.

A group of redheaded girls, a few blondes thrown in, were descending. Their brothers and fathers trailed behind, throwing sharp glares at any boy who dared ogle them.

Scorpius picked out George and Angelina, Harry and Ginny, then Rose's parents… where was _she?_

He heard her before he saw her. It was in one of the moments where he forced himself to look away from the staircase, to pretend like he was intrigued by his own house and furnishings. Her laugh suddenly echoed through the cavernous hall, and Scorpius' head whipped around.

Rose was in stitches at the top of the stairs, bent double at something Albus had said. Al was looking down at the crowd below edgily, their smooth entrance evidently not going as he'd planned. Scorpius wouldn't have it any other way, though. Before he knew what he was doing, he was ducking around people left and right, then climbing the stairs to meet his friends.

"No, no, I don't believe you for a second!" Rose exclaimed, Albus breaking into a grin as he caught sight of Scorpius. "Is that – really what – he said?" she gasped, gripping the railing.

"You clean up nice," Scorpius greeted Albus, looking him up and down. Rose began to calm down when she registered his presence. "Who would've thought all that hair could somehow make that tux work?"

Al sneered at Scorpius. "Well, your greasy head's certainly going to make your tie come off easier later tonight," he shot back.

"It's not greasy," Rose defended Scorpius. "And your tux looks smashing no matter what, Al, Mum has great taste. Hello, dear," she greeted Scorpius. "You look lovely."

Scorpius couldn't take his eyes off her. Her face was still pink from laughing, her hair was swept up into a pile on top of her head, and her green dress was certainly doing her more good than harm. "You look…" Scorpius trailed off, simply taking her in. Rose beamed.

"Right, then, I'll leave you two alone," Albus excused himself, the insinuation loud in his tone. Rose rolled her eyes at him.

"You look amazing," Scorpius finally finished his thought, and, regaining his senses, offered his arm to Rose. She took it and they made their way down the sweeping steps.

"So, er," Rose began, and Scorpius knew she was having him on, "_why_ did you never tell me you live in a bloody _mansion?_"

"You honestly think I want you to know about this place?" Scorpius teased. "With secret passageways, hidden rooms, and a giant library? Ugh, how could I live with the embarrassment?"

"Rose!"

Victoire was waving her over a few metres away. Rose looked at her escort.

"Er, shall I…?"

"Oh, yeah, go," Scorpius encouraged, relinquishing her hand.

"I'll find you later," Rose promised, striding over to her cousin.

"Rosie!" Victoire jubilated, throwing her arm over Rose's shoulders. "Don't we make a nice pair of twins."

"Oh, sure," Rose scoffed, looking her cousin up and down. Her hair was down, but it was curled and framed her pretty face nicely. The dress gave her curves in all the right places. "What with the hair, the height, and the freckle discrepancy, I'd say we're nearly identical."

"Oh, stop that," Victoire burst out in exasperation, pulling her arm back.

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking like that," Vic clarified, taking Rose's hands in her own. "You look no better than me; in fact, I'd say we both look marvellous, if you'll excuse my high self-opinion."

That was all well and good, thought Rose, but Victoire was still twenty-three to her sixteen.

"Meanwhile," Victoire diverted her attention, "Scorpius over there looks positively delicious."

Snorting at her cousin's terminology, Rose looked around for her friend. There he was, at the other end of the room, where the dancing was taking place. He cut a striking figure, his suit custom-tailored for his height. As they watched, he scratched the back of his head, leaving his hair rumpled. Oddly, Rose preferred it that way.

"I'd say Quidditch did that boy some good," Vic said offhand – a little too casually.

"I'll say," Molly agreed, passing them, to which Rose gave her a scandalised look. "I'm just saying," she shrugged, swigging a bit of gillywater and moving on.

"Are you hinting at something, Victoire?" Rose asked suspiciously, but before she could get an answer, Teddy materialised by Victoire's side, taking her hand. He had done his hair the same colour as her dress for the occasion.

"Trying to hog my girlfriend, are we, Rosie?" he teased. Victoire rolled her eyes. "I pop off to the loo for two minutes and you've already moved on, sweetheart. Tut, tut.

"Mind if I sweep her off her feet for a dance, young Weasley?" he asked Rose. Chuckling, she backed off, planning on finding Al or Hugo. She _had_ to get those thoughts Vic had planted in her brain out before she saw Scorpius again.

"Rosie!" her father called as she weaved through guests. He was chatting with Aunt Fleur and Andromeda, both women looking as though he'd slipped Euphoria into their drinks.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"I had to claim a dance with my little girl sometime tonight, and you'll probably be off gallivanting with some boy later, with your mum's genes – "

"Dad!"

" – so I had to catch you early." Ron put his glass down on a table and took a giggling Rose's hand to lead her to the dance.

It was a simple dance, one that Rose had seen her parents doing in the living room as a kid when they thought she was asleep. She thought they had learned it for their famous fourth-year Yule Ball. She had to resist the urge to put her feet on her father's like she had when she was younger.

Scorpius watched Rose dance with her father from the edge of the floor, not bothering to hide his jealousy from himself, though he wouldn't show it to the entire room. _It__'__s __her __father, __for __Merlin__'__s __sake_, he chided himself. But she just looked so lovely out there, he wished she would wear ball gowns all the time.

"You like her," a voice said next to him, as though it was a fact and not merely an inkling in his own mind.

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed dimly, before turning and realising it was James Potter. "Wait, no!" he corrected himself, watching James smile and try to hide it by sipping his firewhisky.

"Whatever you say, Sigmund," James grinned, walking away.

"What does that even mean?" Scorpius called after him.

"Just dance with her," James instructed, waving behind himself as he disappeared into the crowd.

_Whatever_, Scorpius thought, _he __doesn__'__t __know __what __he__'__s __talking __about._ He watched as, across the dance floor, Thomas Giles began to make his way toward the middle, probably looking for a partner for the next number. _Okay, __maybe __I __should __dance __with __her_, Scorpius decided quickly, literally dropping his glass and rushing out onto the floor.

To his horror, Giles had already gotten to Rose. Scorpius was about to curse his luck – when he realised that this dance involved passing. A sly grin crept up his face; he wasn't born into a family of Slytherins for nothing.

Rose took Thomas Giles' hand. She had never really talked to him much, but he was a Ravenclaw a year ahead of her, and he always seemed nice at school.

When the music started, Rose realised that it would involve passing near the end. Nerves fluttered in her stomach, unsure as she was about who would end up her final partner. But for now, she and Thomas twirled around each other, their hands meeting and parting as they went.

Here came the passing. Scorpius relinquished Luna Scamander's hand and moved to the right (the girls stayed where they were). Grandma Weasley came face to face with him.

"Oh, Scorpius, dear! I was hoping to see you! Thank you ever so much for inviting us, it was terribly kind of you and your parents – "

"It was nothing, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius said nonchalantly, trying not to look like he was peering over her shoulder, looking for Rose.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Rose exclaimed, pleased with her luck.

"Hello, Rose," Mr. Malfoy smiled at her as they continued dancing. "How are you? Do you like the ball?"

"I'm fine, and it's magnificent," Rose answered truthfully. But before they had the chance to say anything else, the group had shifted again, and she was dancing with Fred.

Scorpius went through Victoire, Molly, and Professor McGonagall, and then he was next to Rose.

"Mr. Malfoy, have you been practising?" his headmistress asked him.

"Dancing lessons when I was ten," Scorpius told her. "With these balls, I needed them."

McGonagall nodded, impressed. "Farewell, Mr. Malfoy," she called politely as they switched for the last time.

Rose had parted with Fred, her uncle Harry, and Auntie Luna, somehow, though she paid it no mind. Luna waved goodbye to her dreamily, and the men all shifted so that Rose was left with –

"Scorpius!" she smiled dazzlingly at him.

"Hello, Rose," Scorpius grinned back.

The end of the dance picked up in tempo, and Rose and Scorpius sped up, ready to finish the dance – until Rose slipped on something and went flying. She hit the floor right as the last note sounded. An empty glass rolled out from under her dress. Rose took one look at it and began laughing so hard Scorpius thought she was going to asphyxiate.

Then Scorpius realised that it was _his_ glass that he had dropped before this very dance. Tears of laughter were coming out of Rose's eyes, and Scorpius began to laugh along with her. The other dancers, who had been staring horrorstricken, afraid Rose would be hurt, looked very relieved.

Scorpius was going to offer his hand to Rose to help her up, but she was back on her feet before he could compose himself. Brushing off her dress, she snickered, "That was… fun." Looking up at Scorpius, she saw that his bow tie had gone crooked. "Hold on," she instructed, reaching up to straighten it. As soon as she did, she felt an inexplicable blush cross her face, and she removed her hands as quickly as possible, a little… tingly.

Scorpius cleared his throat, as it was a little awkward both standing there flustered. "Erm, Rose," he began, and she looked up – but right at that moment, a hush fell over the crowd. The pair looked around until, right in the middle of the room, they spotted Teddy and Victoire, the crowd having backed away so the two were in a wide circle of their own.

"Hold on, what's happening?" Rose whispered, craning her neck.

"We're too far away; I can't hear," Scorpius complained.

"Wait a sec," Rose warned, moving behind Scorpius and putting her hands on his shoulders. "Lift me," she ordered, and Scorpius pulled her up piggyback. Her perfume was much stronger all around his face like it was –

Rose gasped, and Scorpius almost dropped her. "He's kneeling, _he__'__s __kneeling!_" she squealed, struggling to keep her voice down.

"_Yes!_" Victoire cried, loud enough for the whole room to hear. The cousins began to squeal all around them, and Rose was pumping her fist in the air.

"Yeah! YEAH!" Emotionally high, she planted a wet kiss on Scorpius' cheek, who was cheering too. "Let me down, let me down!" Rose kicked until Scorpius relinquished her legs, and as soon as she was on the ground, he pulled her into a huge, smothering hug. Arms wrapped around the two of them; Fred, Molly, Lily, and Lorcan had conglomerated into a group hug. Lily was jumping up and down, jostling Scorpius' hold on Rose.

"All right, bug off, I wanna see Teddy!" Fred called, and the group split. Rose brought her hands from Scorpius' neck to join with his, and she stamped up and down in excitement.

"About time!" she exclaimed, and Scorpius laughed.

"They've been going out for what, six years?" Scorpius ascertained.

"Something like that," Rose confirmed. Her face was flushed. "Oh, I'm going to get a drink," she huffed, and Scorpius was alone once more.

* * *

><p>By midnight, many of the guests had Disapparated or Flooed out. Formal shindigs were never good for much but office gossip, and they had family holiday fun to get back to.<p>

Rose had spent a large portion of her time with her family; in any case, Scorpius hadn't seen her again. He had sought out the poor sods who had been dragged here by their parents (including Thomas Giles, who, upon further reflection, Scorpius realised he didn't hate so much), chatting and drinking in a corner. At one point, he had been sought out by his mother for a dance, but the night was dwindling to an end and his company had left.

Rose was far easier to pick out now that most of the crowd had gone, but she appeared to be deep in conversation with her aunt Angelina. Scorpius instead veered over to the drinks, where Albus was pouring himself another butterbeer.

"_Great_ party," Al stressed, setting the self-filling pitcher down on the table. Scorpius picked it up and poured himself one. "Stuffier than usual, but better than I expected."

"Thanks, mate," Scorpius replied sarcastically. "Means a lot to me, considering that I was so _obviously_ looking forward to this that I basically begged you lot to come."

"Mmm," Al demurred, taking a sip nonchalantly from his glass. Scorpius drank as well. "I figured you were just doing it to get Rose to dance with you."

Scorpius choked on his butterbeer.

"Don't even play this game with me," Albus continued before Scorpius could say anything. "I see how you look at her. We're in the same dorm. We have all the same classes together. I've known you since we were eleven, and her since we were born. I can read you. You like her."

Albus tactfully left out Rose's side, though he was watching her, too. It was hers alone to tell, but Scorpius here needed to get his head out of his arse.

Scorpius didn't speak for ten seconds or so, but then he lifted his eyes to Al's.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"Since Rose's birthday," Albus confessed.

Scorpius nodded. "Mate, I don't know what to do," he said, exasperated.

"In the long run? No idea," Al said oh-so-helpfully. "But for now, just dance with her." He plucked the glass out of Scorpius' hand, at the same time shoving his friend so he'd get a move on. Scorpius shot him a look when he'd regained his balance. Albus waved him on.

"Being a matchmaker's not what it's cracked up to be," Al mused, drinking his butterbeer.

Rose had just wished Victoire and Teddy all the best, having put it off until later because of all the well-wishers. Teddy couldn't stop smiling, and Victoire was positively glowing. Fleur hadn't shut up in the past three hours, hounding anyone who would listen about her daughter being engaged.

Someone cleared their throat behind her, and Rose turned around. Scorpius was standing there, his hands in his pockets, looking rather tired.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hello yourself." She smiled at him, and Scorpius looked less tired when he smiled back.

"Heading out soon?" Scorpius inquired. Rose looked about at her family.

"Yeah, I suppose," she said. "This has been… fantastic, Scorpius. I can't thank you enough for having us."

He shrugged, though obviously pleased. "Listen, there's one thing we haven't done… well, we did for a little while, but the end of a song doesn't really count as a whole dance."

"Are you asking me to join you for the last dance?" Rose wheedled, putting a hand to her heart overdramatically. "Why, sir, how romantic!"

"Yes, yes, I thought so," Scorpius agreed, putting on a snooty accent. Rose laughed and pulled him toward the dance floor, where only a few lonely couples still twirled, both of their parents among them.

The orchestra was breathtaking (Rose noted it was a real one, not just enchanted instruments like she had seen so often, but she rather preferred it this way). She had never been much of a music expert, so she couldn't tell you anything that mattered about the piece, other than that it was slow and sweet and… perfect. Still joined at the hand with Scorpius, she placed her other hand on his shoulder. He took her waist, and they were off.

"I can't get over the sight of you in a dress," Scorpius confessed. Rose blushed furiously.

"Stop it, it's not funny."

"No, it's terrific," he assured her. "If you dressed like this at school… well, you saw Giles – "

"We're friends," Rose dismissed it. "We were just dancing. Like this." As soon as she said it, she realised the hypocrisy in her own words. This felt completely different than dancing with Giles had been. In a sudden flash of realisation, Rose wondered: was she falling for her best friend?

Her eyes met Scorpius', and she immediately wanted to look away, but made herself keep eye contact. After a moment or two, Scorpius pulled her closer.

"Come here, you."

It was little more than a moving hug, but the music was still playing, and Rose didn't have a Muggleborn mother for nothing. They had a television in their house; they watched movies. This was exactly the slow-dance type of dancing in bad teen movies.

Rose smiled a secret smile and put her head on Scorpius' chest, the two of them looking quite a sight, nearly standing stationary amidst the still-dancing couples. Little did she know, Scorpius was smiling the same smile, his arms around her.

When the song ended, they applauded the orchestra heartily. Over Rose's shoulder, Scorpius noticed most of the Weasley cousins, the girls looking wistful, the boys making googly eyes and kissy faces at him. He gave them the "cut it out" sign fiercely.

"Come on, Rose!" Hugo called, the family starting up the stairs again.

"Right," Rose murmured. She impulsively leant up on her tiptoes and kissed Scorpius on the cheek. "Thanks for a wonderful ball," she beamed at him, and then she turned away, gliding across the shining floor with a grace Scorpius had only now come to appreciate.

He turned to locate his parents and found them being thanked over and over again by Teddy Lupin, Victoire at his side. Scorpius would see his family in the morning. With a sigh, he began to make his way to his room, looking up at the archway at the top of the stairs as he went.

Rose was taking her shoes off and her hair was down. In Scorpius' opinion, she was even lovelier than when he had first seen her at the beginning of the night.


	9. Easter

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 9: Easter

Scorpius' parents wanted him home for the Easter hols, for they would be vacationing with the Greengrasses in the Urals. With so little to do in the mountain cabin, Scorpius ended up telling his family about his feelings for Rose (which had only strengthened since Christmas) during their many hours talking. His father, as per usual with his son, was surprised but not disappointed, his mother was in raptures, and his cousins didn't stop teasing him until they went back to England. This, however, only gave Scorpius a thicker skin, proving that he could stand by Rose's side if they encountered any opposition.

Not that he was planning on making any moves soon. But it was a reassuring thought.

On Rose's end, she spent the Brunch feeling oddly naked, missing the presence from her right side that had become so permanently fixed after their fight. Afterward, when they had Flooed home, she ran to her room and sat down to write a letter. She understood why Scorpius wasn't there, she just missed him.

A soft knock on the doorframe made her look up. Albus was standing there, Louis slightly behind.

"Hey, guys," Rose greeted, confused.

"Hiya, Rosie," Louis returned, flopping upon her bed. "You're probably wondering what we're doing here."

Rose nodded, glad they were addressing it so early.

"Well, we were on our way to the Wheezes, and we remembered your face at brunch today," Al explained, crossing to her armchair in the corner.

"Wha – my face?"

"Sure," Louis confirmed, flipping over so that his head dangled over the foot of the bed. "Without Scorpius there, you seemed awfully subdued."

"I just wish he didn't have to – "

"And we wanted to talk to you about him," Al talked over her. "You and him. Him and you."

"The two of you, if you will," Louis rephrased unnecessarily. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Is there a purpose to this conversation?" she inquired.

"Only to uncover how you feel about Scorpius." Albus propped his feet up on her table.

"How I feel - ? We're best friends, Albus, you know that!" Rose exclaimed, a bit confused.

"Best friends, all right," Louis conceded, getting up from her bed. "Come on, then, Al, we have what we need."

Rose shook her head at her weird cousins as they exited her room and called good-byes to her parents. Those freaks were so… unexplainable. She finished her letter and sent it to Scorpius.

It mustn't have reached him in time, because she didn't hear from him before they were due back at King's Cross to head back to school.

"Rose!" Scorpius called from down the platform. "Heya, Hugo."

Hugo waved cheerily, whereas Rose dropped all of her bags to envelop Scorpius in a tight hug.

"I wrote you," she told him when they broke apart.

"Damn," Scorpius replied, "I was afraid of that. We left the cabin just before post came."

"It's alright, nothing that important," Rose blew it off. "I was just curious how your visit was."

"I'll tell you about it, once we find Al," Scorpius promised, loading both of their bags onto the train.

"He said he'd be here by now," Rose said, beginning to peek into compartments.

"Let's track him down then, eh?" Scorpius took her by the hand so they wouldn't lose each other in the crowd. Pulled along behind him, Rose thought back to the last time she had seen Al, simultaneously registering the fluttering in her stomach that she felt more and more often these days.

Could the boys have been insinuating something that she herself was beginning to believe?


	10. Invitation

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 10: Invitation

"Scorp! Scorpius!" Rose hurtled through the common room, running smack into a second-year. "Whoops, sorry. Scorpius!"

She flung herself onto the couch next to him, thrusting a piece of paper under his nose. "Teddy and Victoire have decided on a date!"

"I know, I got an invite too," Scorpius chuckled, bent over his Charms homework.

"Oh, well, phooey on you," Rose grumbled. "But the wedding _is_ over the summer, so can you make it?"

"I'm not going out of the country again, if that's what you're worried about," Scorpius teased.

"That week apart was _agony_," Rose sighed, throwing herself into his lap. _She really should have her own daytime drama_, Scorpius thought wryly. "I don't know what I would _do_ if you were to leave again like that!"

Scorpius, bolstered by her ridiculous acting, swept her into his arms dramatically. (He always ended up embarrassing himself when she got into one of these moods. He'd join in and take it a bit too far.) "I'll never leave you again, Rose dearest," he proclaimed. "Just say the word and I'm yours."

Albus looked on at them in almost painful amusement. Scorpius and Rose both saw, but thought the other hadn't.

"Excuse me," Rose said awkwardly, disentangling herself from Scorpius' arms, little though she wanted to. "Shut up, Al," she muttered through gritted teeth as she passed him on her way to the dormitories.

"Shut up, Al," Scorpius shot as Albus took Rose's vacated seat. He put his head in his hands, stunned at his own patheticness.

"SHUT UP, ROXY!" they heard from behind, and a snickering Roxanne.

"So… coming to the wedding," Al sidled into the conversation, Scorpius rubbing his face tiredly. "And will you be coming for Teddy and Victoire, or…?"

"Albus, I'm going to the wedding because I care about the people getting married. Yes, Rose will be there," he said loudly before Al could contradict him, "but she is _not_ the main reason I am attending. I've made friends with the rest of your family too, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Al conceded. "Gran treats you like a Weasley poster child." Scorpius grinned in spite of himself. "In any case – " Al slapped his hands to his knees in preparation for getting up – "be there round July, yeah?"

Scorpius nodded, and Albus got up and left the common room, leaving Scorpius back with his Charms. His focus returned, he worked another hour on his remaining homework that he'd slacked off for Quidditch. It wasn't terribly late, but many people had gone to bed, including Al, who'd waved to Scorpius when he returned with Hugo and Lily. The two fourth-years had seated themselves across from Scorpius, Lily chatting while Hugo tried to set up a house of cards.

Scorpius heard shuffling footsteps behind him, and somehow he knew it was Rose. Her hand on his shoulder reasserted this belief, and he looked around at her. She was in her pajamas, the lone red sock on her foot.

"How's it going?" she asked, looking at his work sprawled across the table.

"It's going," Scorpius shrugged.

She took a deep breath. She seemed very relaxed; she always became a bit subdued around the late hours. "Stand up, you," she instructed. Scorpius did. Rose wrapped her arms around his middle. He knew how much she liked to hug, but it didn't make this one any less special. He hugged her back and put his head on top of hers.

"I just wanted to say that if I was ever annoying to you, or got overbearing like I do, that I'm sorry," Rose said softly. Scorpius was happy to just stand there forever and smell her shampoo, but he pulled back and looked at her quizzically.

"Rose, nothing you do could annoy me," he assured her. "Well, sometimes, but not deeply!" Rose snorted. "Hey." Scorpius pulled her close again. "I love you, okay?"

It was at that moment that Rose wished fully that he would say that and have it mean something more. She sighed heavily, the shock of it weighing on her, and blushed bright red. Nodding (a bit furiously and erratically), she pulled back and latched onto Lily.

"We're going to bed, it seems," Lily called back to Scorpius and Hugo, who had gone back to their homework and card tower, respectively, as she was dragged up the girls' stairs.

Rose stopped midway up the deserted staircase and looked at Lily. Without a word, Lily began laughing joyously, understanding immediately the thunderstricken look on her cousin's face. Lily kissed her on the very red cheek happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting for Rose to react, to say or do _something!_ And then Rose's face broke out into a wide smile, and Lily had to stuff her sleeve into her mouth to muffle her squeals.

When Roxanne passed Rose's dorm later as she was getting ready for bed and shot her a knowing look, Rose knew she'd have to warn Lily not to tell the whole school. Having a close family was great, but it had its drawbacks. She only hoped that Al wouldn't find out until she decided to tell him.


	11. Keeping Secrets

**The Burrow Brunch**

Chapter 11: Keeping Secrets

"She likes Scorpius?" Al exclaimed, flinging himself onto Lucy in his excitement. "'Bout time she copped up."

"Now, now," Lucy cautioned. "Don't go bandying it all about the place! We can't let anyone else know."

"Well, you heard it from Molly!" Albus protested. "And she heard it from Vic, who heard it from Fred, who heard it from James, who – "

"Yes, yes, all the cousins know," Lucy interrupted impatiently. "Except for Hugo. And I'd prefer if we kept it that way. He takes after Uncle Ron a bit more than would be good if the secret got out."

"And speaking of Uncle Ron…" Al realised. "We can't let him find out either. I think he was mostly joking that day at the platform, my first year. But the way he reacted when the Malfoys came to brunch the first time… it makes me think he still thinks of Mr. Malfoy as, like, the enemy."

"Now, that's a little quick to judge." Lucy and Albus spun around to see that Uncle Ron had joined them, a cupcake in his hand. He took a seat on the couch. "I haven't been mean to Draco Malfoy when he comes to visit."

"What's this I hear about Draco Malfoy?" Aunt Fleur asked from the doorway. "Why is everyone in here?"

"The kids are thinking I still hate Malfoy," Ron explained, licking his finger for cupcake crumbs.

Fleur crossed the room and sat next to Ron, putting her hand on his knee. "Children, I know you will not understand," she explained, "but we know the Draco Malfoy of the war, and we have gotten to know the Draco Malfoy that he is now. And he has matured. He has grown up from his school days, when he deluded himself into thinking he was powerful enough to kill Dumbledore at your age, Albus. He married a sensible woman and brought up a sensible son. He's changed, hasn't he, Ron?"

Ron nodded, folding his hands. "Everything you said and more."

Al and Lucy glanced at each other a bit skeptically.

"Right; we'd better go outside, or they'll start brunch without us," Lucy excused herself and Albus. "And no spilling the beans, even to the other aunts and uncles," she muttered in Al's ear as she steered him out.


	12. The Wedding

**The Burrow Brunch**

**NOOOOOO. I wanted to get this up yesterday (for it was August 26, and if you've been with me long enough, we all know what that means… INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY! If you want to know, go read When Things Go Slightly Wrong, chapter ten) but then I got caught up doing – gasp – homework. Yes, I'm in college now. Definitely still expect updates from me, but less frequently, unfortunately.**

Chapter 12: The Wedding

July ninth came around and made the Burrow frantic. The wedding was to be held in the yard, as per the wishes of Victoire, who wanted to get married where her parents' wedding had been ruined. Teddy had felt that it might be bad luck, but he was overruled by most of the family.

It was odd to not have the brunch tables set up on a Sunday, but a large white tent had been raised, much bigger than the one they sat under at Christmas. The boys had set up chairs outside while the girls were entertained endlessly by Fleur's sister Gabrielle, who was just as attractive and twice as charming. Dominique and Lily (the bridesmaids) and Victoire sat and watched the other girls, all holed up in Grandma Weasley's room, get into their fancy dresses and hairdos. Rose smiled at her mother as Molly played with her hair, doing it up into a simple twist. Hermione was chatting amiably with Dominique, who was painting her toenails a bright blue.

When Molly finished with Rose's hair, they both changed into their dresses; Rose's was a simple purple wrap. She made her way over to Lily to do her hair. Glancing over at Victoire and her aunt Gabrielle, she began to mimic the complicated twisting knot in Lily's long red hair, sharing a look with Aunt Audrey, who was doing the same for Dominique.

Half an hour later, all of the girls were completely ready. Dominique was in pale pink and Lily in a pale blue dress of the same style, and Vic was absolutely radiant. Victoire would have to wait in the house while Grandma Weasley made her rounds of the boys and their fathers, making sure their bow ties were on straight and their shoes were the right colour. They had five minutes before guests would begin arriving. Rose greeted Victoire's Delacour grandparents, whom she liked very much from the few times she'd met them. Gran gave them leave to take their seats if they pleased, everyone having passed her inspection.

Rose used her family privilege and nabbed a seat in the front row before any meddling guests could take it. No sooner had she sat down than she was joined by Scorpius, who plopped down on her right.

"Hello there!" she greeted as they wrapped their arms around each other. "Couldn't your parents make it?"

"Oh, sure," Scorpius gestured, and Rose turned in her chair to see Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy seated respectfully a few rows back. Mrs. Malfoy waved at her, and Rose reciprocated cheerily.

"I'm glad you joined me," Rose nudged Scorpius playfully with her shoulder. Scorpius laughed and knocked her back.

The seats were quickly filled, and the wedding took place. Victoire had never looked happier, and Teddy had never looked more beautiful – because come on, there had to be a point where the two of them switched places, they were so suited for each other.

"I declare you bonded for life," the officiating wizard declared, and Scorpius looked down at Rose. She was beaming away like it was her own wedding. Scorpius wondered if one day that might be the reality. He only hoped he'd be up at the front with her.

"Scorp? Are you _blushing?_"

He had clearly lost track of himself; the wedding was over, and Rose was looking at him in sheer amusement.

"I – er – "

"What the hell could you possibly be blushing _for?_"

"I was thinking. Nothing, it was nothing," Scorpius brushed it off, standing up and offering Rose his hand. Looking up at him from where she was slumped in her chair, she seemed to be contemplating him.

"Scorpius, do you wanna dance?" she asked, finally taking his hand. But he didn't help her up. He was staring at her, apparently in shock.

"That's okay," Rose said quickly, letting go of his hand and getting up on her own. "It's fine if you don't want – "

Scorpius latched onto her hand again, back to his senses. He took a deep breath before looking into her so-blue eyes and saying, "Yes. Yeah, let's go dance. I'd love to dance." He'd so far avoided looking at her body, but now that she was leading him to the dance floor (which might have been a dangerous idea, considering how Louis and James seemed to be more flailing than dancing), he couldn't help but take in how her dress made her look. He knew her well enough by now to know that this didn't look like she had put terrible effort into her appearance, and guessed that one of her cousins had probably done her neat hair. She looked downright… _sexy_, he allowed himself to think the word.

Rose spun Scorpius to face her on the floor, and they began to dance. It was odd, now that Rose felt comfortable and normal-looking in her clothes, and without a full string orchestra. There was no princess-like atmosphere to her at all today. And yet Scorpius would always seem the prince to her: graceful, dashing, and sweet to the end.

They finished their dance, a fairly upbeat and catchy number, and then the band started up some old wizarding dances. Nearly everyone at the wedding poured onto and around the dance floor when they heard the music, and Grandma Weasley led them, tightly packed as they were, through the motions. Scorpius and Rose ended up being squashed into each other more than they were apart. Everyone was laughing and shrieking, and after only a few dances, the band went back to its usual fare.

Rose, exhausted and mussed, led an equally disheveled Scorpius to a tree at the edge of the pond, where they sat in silence, away from the crowded wedding.

"I don't really know what's going to happen," Rose stated, as though continuing a conversation they had been having. Scorpius looked at her quizzically.

"What's going to happen with what?"

"Ted and Victoire," Rose elaborated.

"Well… why? What? Are you worried about something?"

"Yeah," she exhaled, leaning back on her arms. "What if, now they're married, and they go off and have kids, and they don't come to the Brunch anymore? What if things change?" Scorpius shifted so he was next to her, propped up on his arms as well. "Will we still be close like we've always been? Adulthood seems to suck any good feelings and familiarity away."

Scorpius placed his hand over Rose's. "Everything will be fine," he said, looking her in the eye. "Teddy's like another Weasley to you all, and Victoire's like her dad; she doesn't have a cool attitude. She stays close to the people who matter. It'll all work out, I promise."

Rose smiled tentatively. "You're too good for me, Scorpius Malfoy," she proclaimed.

"Oi! We're getting cake," Roxanne called from between the pond and the tent.

The pair followed her to the lengthening line for cake, and Roxanne pulled them in near the front. "Saved you a spot," she explained.

"Thanks, Roxy, you're a star," Rose high-fived her cousin, picking up a slice of chocolate cake.

She and Scorpius found a small circular table, which quickly filled up as more people got cake.

"So – brunch is still on?" Fred inquired.

"Yeah, after all this is taken down," Dominique confirmed.

"Gran's probably cooked an entire dragon," Lucy snorted. "You staying, Scorpius?"

"Sure, let me ask my parents," Scorpius agreed, standing up to find them.

"Oh, invite them too!" Al chimed in before his friend left.

There was a pause as the group all sat and ate their cake. "We really need to come up with more things to talk about sometimes," Rose broke the awkward silence.

"Yeah, we really do," everyone chorused, among other variations.

"Great; we're going to stay," Scorpius announced, rejoining them, just as the music started up again.

"Oh, good, awkwardness was starting to set in," Fred exuded bluntly, throwing his napkin to the table and hurrying over to the dance floor. Everyone laughed and finished their cake at a human pace, lapsing into more comfortable conversation afterward.

Before they knew it, the wedding was over and guests were exiting the many flaps of the tent, bidding their goodbyes to the wedding party. Bill and Harry, the father and father-figure of the bride and groom, dismantled everything once everyone had gone. The tent folded in on itself, the chairs disappeared, and the tables were Transfigured to become rectangular, tablecloths Summoned from the house covering them.

Grandma Weasley sent everyone to grab at least one dish or dessert, and the table was set for brunch (though it was actually lunch) in no time. With the Delacours, Charlie, a dozen Hogwarts professors, and the Malfoys in attendance, an extra table had been appended to the end. Conversation was even harder to hear than usual, and Teddy and Victoire had shifted so that they were opposite Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, who were giving them ideas of where to go on their honeymoon.

It was so cramped that Scorpius could barely cut his steak, but he and Rose managed to work out a system to optimise comfort. She had taken her hair down by now, and he had taken off his tie and jacket long ago. Looking at her now, her nose crinkled with laughter at some joke her father had made, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

Rose, looking at him talking with his father and her uncle Percy about why he didn't think he'd be good at a Ministry position, wished she could be more of a Gryffindor and take the initiative herself.

Molly rolled her eyes at her mother. The pair was all the way down the table and the sexual tension was still nearly audible down their end.

"Just don't let your uncle Ron find out," Audrey leaned in and whispered.

"Don' let Ron find out wha'?" Hagrid boomed tactlessly.

"That Molly hates Chudley!" Lucy hollered, shooting Hagrid a look. Ron glared overdramatically at his niece, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, we have to tell him," George amended.

Angelina glanced down the table again furtively. "Just not right now," she cautioned.

"Oh, of course," everyone agreed wholeheartedly. No one wanted to face that pretty picture on such a happy day.


	13. Scorpius' Awkward Day

**The Burrow Brunch**

**College. I'm sorry. This has been sitting in my notebook for a while, and I only just remembered. This is why I hate school.**

Chapter 13: Scorpius' Awkward Day

"You have got to be kidding me," Scorpius exclaimed. He and Albus were sequestered in his mother's old room at the Burrow, a few floors up from everyone else in the living room. "_Everyone_ knows?"

"Hey, at least I'm telling you! Look at it that way, mate!" Al blathered. Scorpius looked at him in disbelief. "See, I'm not hiding anything from you, and thus, you have no reason to hate me." Al looked at him earnestly.

"Albus, you're so stupid." Scorpius sighed and sank onto the bed. "How could you let it get out to EVERYONE that I like Rose?"

The door flew open with a bang to reveal a stunned Hugo; Albus and Scorpius both leapt rather embarrassingly into the air. Hugo's mouth was poised, and Al yanked him in and slammed the door just before his cousin yelled, "YOU LIKE MY SISTER?"

"Oh, yeah, that's the other thing," Al said offhand to Scorpius. "Hugo doesn't know."

"Until now," Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Hugh, you have _got_ to learn the art of discretion," Al implored exasperatedly.

"Sorry, I was just surprised," Hugo said, actually sheepish.

Scorpius was on the bed again, hands covering his face. He moaned incoherently. "I can't go down and face them now!" he lamented.

"Oi, what's there to be ashamed of?" Hugo demanded, Weasley loyalty flaring up, but Albus put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hugh, was there a reason you came up here?" he asked pointedly.

"Oh, yeah," Hugo remembered. "I just came to find Scorpius. And you!" he covered lamely, nearly forgetting the surprise they had planned. Al shot him a warning look.

"Just act naturally," he said, changing tack as he turned to force Scorpius off the bed. Each grabbing one of his hands, Albus and Hugo pulled Scorpius to his feet. "Now come on, brunch is ready."

They made their way through the house, now empty, and Hugo hastened to open the door before Scorpius could see anything through the windows.

He flung the door open, and Scorpius looked up in surprise, equally dazzled by the bright summer sunlight and by Rose's wide smile.

"Happy birthday, Scorpius!" everyone chorused, even his parents, down at the table with the rest of the Brunch Bunch.

Oh, yeah. His birthday.

Everyone laughed at the baffled look on his face. "Don't tell me you forgot your seventeenth birthday, Scorpius!" Rose laughed merrily, taking his hand and leading him to the table. Scorpius had, though; he had been so preoccupied with the issue of everyone knowing his feelings for Rose that every other detail of this day had faded into a cloudy haze.

One thing was very definitively sharpened now, though: Rose's hand in his.

Unfortunately, she let go once they reached the table and Scorpius was swarmed with well-wishers; he was continually clapped on the back and his hand kept being shaken.

Finally, they sat down to brunch. Scorpius interrogated his grinning parents about the affair, and his beaming mother handed him a package. Scorpius opened it to reveal a pair of Omnioculars and a specialised set of stationery, emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest.

"You don't write enough, dear," his mother explained with a pointed look when he gave her a questioning smile.

"I love it," Scorpius replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Rose was smiling away on his other side. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, still grinning. "Potato?"

Scorpius took the baked potato she offered, tuning in to the conversation his father was holding with Percy Weasley.

An hour passed far more quickly than everyone expected, and Grandma Weasley asked Rose to go up to the house and get Scorpius' cake. Scorpius insisted on helping her, ignoring everyone's protests and insisting that they had done enough for him already.

Rose stopped him in the kitchen.

"I never gave you your gift," she said, looking a bit uneasy.

To quell her nerves, Scorpius replied, "You didn't have to get me anything – "

Rose leaned up and kissed him.

Scorpius stumbled back, totally astonished, and Rose tripped a little on his foot, sending her sprawling facefirst toward the table –

And into his cake.

_She __kissed __me. _She _kissed __me. _Scorpius couldn't get his thoughts straight, even when Rose pulled her face out of the ruined cake, covered in icing. She looked over at Scorpius in abject humiliation, both from the dessert and the kiss.

Scorpius couldn't manage to say anything. He still hadn't fully registered what had happened. He was on cloud nine…

And Rose bolted upstairs.

"Rose!" he called, coming to his senses, but she was already three flights up by now. Totally at a loss for what to do, he sat down against the wall, just sitting there until Albus came in a few minutes later to find what had happened to his friends.

Rose didn't come down again, and Scorpius left with his family, totally dejected and completely confused.


	14. A Familiar Scene

**The Burrow Brunch**

**I have nothing to do. I am tremendously bored. (I'm saying that in regards to my life as a whole, not just right now. I'm not only writing this chapter because I'm bored. I was planning on doing this today.) But apparently I AM an incredibly BORING person. Ugh. I'm sorry. Let's get this thing done!**

Chapter 14: A Familiar Scene

Scorpius didn't come to brunch the next week. Rose felt absolutely stupid.

"Now I've just driven him away completely," she muttered under her breath later, head hanging off her bed. "He won't want to be friends with me, or ever see me again, or even be associated with me in a memory."

"SHUT UP," Hugo bellowed, hitting the wall from the other side.

"Oh, piss off," Rose called back, rolling onto her stomach.

"It's two-twenty in the morning!"

"_You're _two-twenty in the morning!"

* * *

><p>For her birthday, Rose decided she'd like to stay at the Burrow again. She tried to suppress the reasoning that last time, they had been spending the weekend at the Burrow when she and Scorpius had reconciled.<p>

Gran fed them all to the point of bursting, and Ron was the happiest Rose had seen him in a while. He and Hermione didn't even squabble. Everyone headed to bed early, ready to celebrate Rose's birthday in the morning.

Rose woke up the next morning, yawned widely, and scratched her head. Getting to her feet, one besocked, one bare, she looked out of the window, far past the tables and the garden. The expanse of the Burrow's grounds stretched away from her, the pond glistening (or perhaps finally congealing like they had all been expecting for a while). Rose reached up and, with a sigh, pulled her wild hair out of its ponytail. A door slammed downstairs, and Rose sank back onto the bed, suddenly aware that it was her birthday and trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was of age. A happy little laugh escaped her, but just as quickly, her mind shifted. She began to chew her tongue pensively, frustrated with herself for feeling so sad at Scorpius' current absence in her life.

"Stop it," she reprimanded herself, already upset at the fact that she reverted to talking to herself without Scorpius around. "You showed him how you felt, and he rejected you. You love him, but there's no way he could return those feelings. For Merlin's sake, get over it!"

Something creaked very close to her, and Rose's head snapped around. She sat up quickly when she saw that Scorpius was standing just inside the door.

Cursing her stomach for flipping around inside her, Rose self-consciously pulled at her hair. "Come to laugh at me?" she asked, fighting to keep the tremble of sudden tears out of her voice.

Scorpius shook his head, though he smiled a little. It wasn't his usual grin that he gave her, and it scared Rose. "Well, then why are you here?"

Scorpius took another few steps into the room, sinking to his knees in front of her. Rose's hands suddenly felt very heavy in her lap, and she found herself wishing he would take them. She couldn't meet Scorpius' eyes.

"You're so beautiful," he said, making her head snap up.

"I'm what?" she exclaimed in bewilderment.

"Rose, please," Scorpius insisted, and her heart absolutely flew, finally taking in what he had first said. Scorpius didn't notice her change in demeanour, for he ploughed on. "I have been so stupid. How could I have been so much of a coward that I avoided you for weeks, all the while thinking about how much I miss your beautiful eyes?" Those eyes crinkled with happiness at his words. "How could I have ignored my own heart, telling me to go for it with you, by just being too much of a wuss to try? Some Gryffindor I am." He laughed weakly. "And then you were brave enough and smart enough to show me, and I was so stupid that I let you go. Well, not this time. Rose, I love you, and I've wanted you to be mine for ages. Please, just please tell me I have a chance."

Rose smiled, so wide she was afraid it would leap off her face, and took Scorpius' hands, pulling him out of his begging stance. She stood with him and threw her arms around him, feeling all the tension drain out of his body as he realised that this was his forgiveness. Scorpius held her even tighter, but only briefly, pulling back so he could lean down to kiss her in the morning sunlight streaming through the window.

It was better than either of them could have imagined, the result of months and years of waiting and hoping. Suddenly Rose had a thought, and pulled back too quickly for Scorpius' liking.

"Wait, why are you here?" Rose asked abruptly. "It's a Friday."

Scorpius laughed. "Oh, yeah," he remembered. "We called an emergency brunch to surprise you."

"Not much of a surprise if you're telling me," Rose muttered.

"Yeah, well, you're evidently much better-versed in the art of surprises than me, then," Scorpius shrugged.

"Some excuse," Rose complained, taking his hand as they made their way downstairs. "You know, if you're going to be my boyfriend, we'll have to work on that wit."

"Anything for you, my dear," Scorpius grinned as they made their last round of the spiral staircase and crossed through the kitchen.

Rose pulled open the door, and the whole gathered Brunch Bunch exclaimed, "Happy birthday, Rose!" as she stepped into the sun.

The cheers turned into an uproar as Rose pulled Scorpius to her again and kissed him. Louis audibly exclaimed, "Get it!" and Rose smiled against Scorpius' lips.


End file.
